The present invention relates to corrugated paperboard shipping and display containers, and more particularly, to bliss-style containers having an inner liner and an outer body wrap, configured to attain high strength while economizing on the amount of material used in its formation.
Various types of bliss containers are known. In general, a bliss container includes at least one inner member (or liner) and an outer member (also called a body wrap or tray) adhered about the inner portion. Bliss containers offer many advantages, most notably that they are stronger than most containers due to their having double- and triple-wall thicknesses. This makes bliss containers particularly advantageous for shipping purposes.
See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,099,379 in which bliss-style shipping containers are described. Such containers are generally constructed of a single outer portion and two inner portions. In the ""379 patent, each inner portion includes an end panel (32) with opposed side reinforcement flaps (34) and (36). The reinforcement flaps provide reinforcement at the container""s comers. This is not always adequate, however, in all shipping applications.
Designers have attempted to increase the reinforcement of the container""s side walls by configuring an inner portion with plural foldable inner flaps (see for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,197,789) or by using offset inner side walls. See for example, the container of U.S. Pat. No. 5,975,413 in which two separate inner portions are used to extend along the side and end wall areas, the inner portions being positioned to abut edges at the container inner comers. Some arrangements use double wall thicknesses having two fluted layers interspersed between three liners. While the ""789 and ""413 arrangements offer two-ply side wall thicknesses, they are wasteful in their construction (especially if a lid is desired) and they are not suitable for all shipping purposes. Thus, a need yet exists for a bliss-style container having an easily manufactured side wall of at least double-ply thickness in order to improve the container""s strength and stacking capability. The present invention is directed to fulfilling this need and others as described below.
In accordance with the teachings of the present inventions, a generally rectangular container is provided including a single outer member and first and second separate inner members. The outer member includes a bottom panel, two primary end panels connected to the bottom panel, and two reinforcing side flaps connected to opposed bottom panel side edges. Each primary end panel has two upright reinforcing side flaps and an interior surface. The inner members each include an upright side panel and first and second secondary end panels connected to opposed side panel side edges. Each secondary end panel has an outer edge.
As assembled, the inner members are located within the outer member. One reinforcing flap of the bottom panel and two opposed upright side reinforcing flaps of the primary end panels form a U-shaped side wall support along the exterior surface of each inner member upright side panel. The secondary end panels of the inner members are located adjacent the interior surfaces of the primary end panels. The secondary end panels are sized so that their outer edges are positioned within a distance of less than about 0.25 inches of one another.